Through Time
by Airhead259
Summary: A series of drabbles. From Etro's throne, Lightning could see the entire timeline.
1. Chapter 1

_I've been doing a series of short drabbles that follow Lightning's thoughts as she watches the timeline from Valhalla in XIII-2. This is the first of them._

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters._

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Chapter 1

The first moment she chose to observe from Valhalla was the moment after Cocoon's crystallization.

The sensation of receiving a vision was something she was still unused to, having only experienced it once before. She stood still and tried to visualise the flow of time – a series of interweaving threads, some broken and dull, others glowing with a faint light. And amidst them, a single thread glowed brighter than the rest. It symbolised the timeline that humanity now followed. Lightning tried to concentrate and soon found herself closing in on a single moment in time.

When she opened her eyes, she felt as though she was looking through a frosted window. Her friends stood before the crystallised Cocoon, gathered in a circle. Serah and Dajh had found their way to the group, and the air was filled with conflicting emotions as they rejoiced at their freedom from crystal stasis, while also mourning Fang and Vanille.

Then, Hope handed something to Serah. With a start, Lightning realised that it was her survival knife – the one that her sister had lovingly gifted to her on her birthday, and the one she had lent to Hope in the Gapra Whitewood.

"It's her knife. I found it near the base of the pillar," she heard Hope say. She saw the sorrow in his eyes and the realisation in her friends' faces. _'Why? What does it mean?'_

"Serah, I'm sorry," Snow began, turning to face the crystal pillar. "She must be inside the pillar. Lightning's holding up Cocoon, along with Vanille and Fang."

Lightning's eyes widened. _'No! I'm here!' _she wanted to say, but she held back, knowing her words were of no use. _'I was standing there with them, but they don't remember…'_

"Wait, what are you talking about? She was right here a second ago!"

_Serah._ With a start, Lightning looked at her sister. The desperation in her gaze as she looked at Snow was heartbreaking. _'She remembers.'_

"I saw her…we talked…she gave us her blessing…"

Serah began to cry. She held the knife to her chest and fell to the ground on her knees. The others gathered around her, her sorrow reflected on their faces. Snow wrapped an arm around her as Sazh, Dajh and Hope looked on helplessly.

She could not watch any more. Lightning closed her eyes and forced the vision out of her mind. Only now did she grasp the full extent of what had happened to her. Not only had she been transported to the Unseen Realm; she had been erased from existence, and only her sister remembered a time when they had all been together.

It was very likely that her companions would consider Serah's memory flawed due to her long crystal sleep. Eventually, they would probably forget that Lightning had ever existed. There was a time when that would not have mattered to her – however, the thought now filled her with fear. The few people she had put her trust in during their journey would now never remember her. Maybe one day, Serah would also forget. She was doomed to a life of isolation, and for the first time ever, Lightning was afraid to be alone.

_'__I…don't want to be left behind.'_

That day, at the foot of Etro's throne, Lightning cried for the life that could have been, and that she would never have again.


	2. Chapter 2

_As I struggle with Aftermath Chapter 5, here's another drabble. I've been rewatching cutscenes and looking through transcripts to ensure my writing doesn't stray far from canon, but if there are any inconsistencies please do let me know, and I apologise in advance. A big thank you to those who are following this drabble series!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIII or its characters._

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Chapter 2

Despite having been tasked with guarding the Goddess, Lightning often found herself with nothing to do. Her fear of being forgotten had kept her from watching the flow of time, and she had immersed herself in battles with various creatures instead, forging pacts with those she defeated. The denizens of the Unseen Realm were now mostly under her command, save for creatures such as the Nektons that never dared to venture near Etro's shrine. She often felt uncharacteristically restless.

It was during one such moment that she found herself searching the timeline again. As much as she had tried to abstain from doing so, the desire to see her sister's face, her friends' faces, was all too strong.

Finally, another window materialised, much sooner than it had during her last attempt. It was not possible for her to tell what year it was, only that it was further in the future. She saw Serah and Snow standing before each other, and Snow extended his hand, dropping something into her sister's open palms. Looking closer, she realised that it was his necklace.

She listened to Snow's words and watched her sister's expression as it shifted between surprised, sad and hopeful. Anger began to well inside her as she realised what he was planning.

_'__You idiot! You promised to protect Serah! There's no point searching – no matter what you do, you'll never be able to find me…'_

But as soon as she saw the acceptance in Serah's eyes, she understood. An indefinite amount of time had passed since she had been removed from the timeline, but her sister still clung to her memories of the true timeline – memories that no one else possessed. And by leaving on his journey, Snow was choosing to support Serah by trusting in her memories instead of his own. It was an undeniably selfless act, and she felt her respect for him grow, if only slightly.

Lightning tried to watch over Snow after he left, in part because she worried for him, but mostly because she did not want to look upon her sister's tear-stained face for a moment longer. However, not long after he set out, she found herself unable to locate him. She searched every branch of every thread that comprised the timeline, but he was nowhere in sight. It was possible that he had been erased from time as well – paradoxes were becoming more and more of a common occurrence, and she worried for the state of the world, and for her friends.

Finally, she chose to return to the moment that she had left. Her sister had returned to her house and was conversing with the NORA gang. She seemed content, and Lightning decided to observe her other former companions. Sazh was enjoying some time off with his son, and Hope was poring over a pile of books, no doubt studying for an examination. They all looked older than they had when she had left them, but they appeared to be moving on with their lives. She smiled wistfully. _'Now you can move forward and live your lives on my behalf.'_

Her final vision took her to the base of the crystallized Cocoon, where Vanille and Fang lay dormant. _'On our behalves,'_ she corrected herself, raising a hand almost as if to touch the crystal. She allowed her gaze to linger on the pillar for a moment longer and made a silent wish.

_'__Sweet dreams, Vanille, Fang. Watch over our friends when you awaken, as I will never return to the world.'_

And as the vision gradually faded from her mind, she heard a voice softly whisper, _"You don't even have to ask, Sunshine."_


End file.
